Mistaken Identity?

Our reporter interviewed several prominent men in Lake City and was told by all of them that the prisoners were not the three men seen there Sunday. Upon being interrogated, the negroes gave their names, ages and addresses as follows: Oscar Simmons, age 17, 10 Short Street; Nat Phelps, age 17, 26 Burns Lane; and Joseph Richardson, age 19, 16 Market Street, all of Charleston. They all told pretty much the same tale, which was prepared for publication but was left out after an interview with Mr. M.J. McManus of the Charleston detective force. (To be continued)

The County Record, April 22, 1897